Two-day strike by Lufthansa cabin crew to affect 100,000 passengers

The walkout comes days after the German flag carrier announced its profits had doubled in 2023

Lufthansa staff have begun their first in a two-day strike across two of Germany’s busiest airports.

Cabin crew have walked out today (Tuesday 12 March) and will strike for a second day on Wednesday in Frankfurt and Munich.

The industrial action also affects the flag carrier’s low-cost subsidiary, Cityline.

According to Lufthansa, around 100,000 passengers will be affected.

The strike will is hitting all departures from Frankfurt Airport on Tuesday, and all departures from Munich Airport on Wednesday, between 4am and 11pm local time.

Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday, Lufthansa said that the walkout would cause “significant impacts on the flight schedule”.

It added: “We deeply regret any inconvenience caused by this strike and thank you for your understanding in this exceptional circumstance.”

Members of The Independent Flight Attendants Organisation (UFO) are calling for a 15 per cent pay increase and a €3,000 (£2,556) inflation compensation payment.

Members of the UFO union protest at Frankfurt Airport on 12 March 2024 (Getty Images)

The union said that more than 96 per cent of its members – including 18,000 Lufthansa staff and 1,000 Cityline workers – voted in favour of industrial action.

The news comes days after Lufthansa announced its profits had doubled in 2023 to €1.67 billion from the previous year.

UFO claims cabin staff have not seen any benefit from these increased profits.

A spokesperson for the union said that company bosses have “distanced” themselves from their employees.

“We call on Lufthansa management to finally leave their elitist bubble and respond to the reasonable demands of their employees with decent offers,” they said in a statement.

“Then solutions can be found at the negotiating table again instead of on the street. As always, it is up to the employer to avert further labour disputes.”

The current walkout comes days after a further strike affected millions of travellers across Germany.

Around 80 per cent of all long-distance trains, as well as regional and commuter trains, were cancelled on Thursday 7 March as train drivers went on strike.

Lufthansa ground staff also stopped work.

The Ver.di union is seeking a 12.5 per cent pay raise, or at least €500 (£426) more per month, in negotiations for nearly 25,000 Lufthansa ground workers including check-in, aircraft handling, maintenance and freight staff.